Locking clip for fastening an article to a belt or the like

ABSTRACT

An elongated clip pivotally mounted to a housing with an Lshaped locking member having one arm slidably mounted on the clip for axial movement with the other arm projecting inwardly toward the housing and movable between a first position adjacent the pivotal axis of the clip to allow pivotal movement and a second position spaced from the pivotal axis to prevent pivotal movement of the clip.

United States Patent 1191 Nat on May 7, 1974 [5 LOCKING CLIP FOR FASTENING AN 836,838 11/1906 Shay 24/251 ARTICLE o A BELT O THE LIKE 2,487,312 11/1949 Clar ,24/11 P 3,623,189 11/1971 Wilczynski 24/3 F [75] Inventor: Melvin S. Nation, Pompano Beach,

Primary ExaminerDonald A. Griffin [73] Assignee: Motorola, Inc., Franklin Park, Ill. Attorney, 8 Firm-Eugene Parson; Vincent J. R er 22 Filed: Dec. 22, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 317,577 [57] ABSTRACT An elongated clip pivotally mounted to a housing with [52] US. Cl. .Q 24/3 F, 24/11 P an L-shaped locking member having one arm slidably [51] Int. Cl A44b 2'1/00 mounted on the p for axial m n th th [58] Field of Search 24/3 R, 3 G, 3 J, 3 L, th r a p j ct g n y toward the housing and 24/3 F, 3 H, 11 CT, 11 HQ, 11 P, 251 movable between a'first position adjacent the pivotal axis of the clip to allow pivotal movement and a sec- [56] References Cited end position spaced from the pivotal axis to prevent UNITED STATES PATENTS pivotal movement of the clip. 566,947 9/1896 Voise 24/251 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMY 119M 7 3808.642

' TEE- .5

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention It is common practice to provide a clip on miniature radio receivers, such as paging receivers and the like, so that the receiver can be clipped onto the belt or in the pocket of the wearer, or clipped on another support. Such clips are spring biased into a closed position and provide some resistance to accidental removal from the support. However, when worn by a police officer, guard, fireman, etc., the receiver or other device may be brushed against an object causing the clip to release and the article to drop and thereby be damaged. Inasmuch as the device involved may be quite expensive, this can result in a substantial loss. Although it is desired to provide a support that will prevent accidental disengagement and dropping of the receiver or other device, it is at the same time necessary that the clip be operable for easy and quick removal of the device.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART A prior art self-locking clip is described in US. Pat. No. 3,623,189, issued to Wilczynski and assigned to the same assignee. The prior art self-locking clip includes a clip pivotally mounted by an elongated pivot rod which allows transverse movement of the clip. The clip and/or a portion of the mounting bracket includes a locking tab positioned to engage a portion of the mounting bracket when the clip is transversely positioned in a first orientation to prevent pivotal movement of the clip and to disengage the portion of the bracket when the clip is moved transversely, so that pivotal movement of the clip is allowed.

The major problem with the above-described prior art device is the expense in the construction thereof. In most embodiments a pair of separate metal mounting brackets are constructed, one of which is affixed to the housing of the receiver and the other of which is affixed to the clip. Further, the transverse movement of the clip to lock and unlock it is considered by some to be awkward and difficult to operate.

' SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to an improved locking clip for fastening an article to a belt or the like including a housing having an elongated clip pivotally attached thereto for limited pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the clip and a projection slidably engaged on one of said housing and said clip for sliding movements independent of said clip to engage the other of said clip and said housing to prevent relative pivotal movements therebetween.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved locking clip for fastening an article to a belt or the like.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved locking clip which is less expensive to manufacture and simpler to operate than prior art structures.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanying specification, claims and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the figures:

FIG. 1 is a view in top plan of a receiver having a clip mounted thereon and an embodiment of the present locking device operatively engaged on the clip;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view as seen from the line 22 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the clip in the unlocked position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the figures the numeral 10 designates a housing of an article, such as a radio receiver or the like, which it is desired to carry by fastening to a belt or the like. The housing 10 has an elongated clip 11 pivotally attached thereto by means of a pair of parallel spaced apart downwardly extending ears 12 (only one shown) integrally affixed to the underside of the clip 1 1 and pivotally attached, by means of a rod 14, to a pair of parallel spaced apart upwardly extending ears 13 integrally affixed to the surface of the housing 10. The ears 12 on the clip 11 are positioned on the mid portion thereof so that the clip 11 extends axially outwardly in both directions therefrom. One end of the clip 11 is bent inwardly toward the housing 10 to define a fastening or gripping jaw in conjunction with the housing 10. A pair of transversely extending ridges 15 are formed in the surface of the housing 10 and engage a pair of transversely extending grooves in the inwardly bent end of the clip 11 to increase the frictional gripping ability of the jaw. A torsional spring 16 is positioned to encircle the rod 14 and engage the housing 10 and clip 11 so as to bias the clip 11 in a clockwise direction in FIG. 2. The bias of the spring 16 forces the bent end of the clip 11 firmly against the housing 10 to grip any piece of clothing or other article inserted therebetween.

The clip 11 has a shallow generally rectangularly shaped depression 20 formed in the upper surface thereof and a generally rectangularly shaped shallow depression 21 formed in the lower surface thereof. The depth of the upwardly opening depression 20 and the downwardly opening depression 21 are somewhat greater than one-half the thickness of thelatch 11 and the adjacent edges of the two depressions overlap so that an opening is provided through the latch 11 by the overlapping portions of the depressions 20 and 21. The depressions 20 and 21 cooperate to form track-like guides for sliding movements of an L-shaped locking member 25. The L-shaped locking member 25 has a first arm 26 lying parallel with the bottom surfaces of the depressions 20 and 21 and generally adjacent thereto. A second arm 27, generally perpendicular to the arm 26, extends downwardly from the end of the arm 26 toward the housing 10. The length of the depression 21 is sufficient to allow movement of the locking member 25 between a position wherein the arm 27 is adjacent the rod 14 and generally at the pivot point of the clip 11 to a position wherein the arm 27 is adjacent the end of the clip 11 to substantially prevent pivotal movements thereof.

A small ramp 30 is formed in the outer surface of the housing 10 and increases in height from adjacent the pivot point of the clip 11 to the outermost end of the depression 21. The arm 27 of the locking member 25 is positioned in overlying relationship to the ramp 30 and is designed to engage the ramp 30 at the outermost extremity of the movement of the locking member 25. The ramp 30 may be designed to simply increase frictional engagement between the locking member 25 and the ramp 30 as the locking member 25 is moved or the ramp 30 may include a slight indent at the outermost and thereof to aid in retainingthe locking member 25 in the locked or outermost position.

An upwardly projecting button 31 is formed as an integral portion of the locking member 25 and extends upwardly from the depression to provide a convenient means for sliding the locking member between the locked and unlocked position thereof. A generally rectangularly shaped frame 32 is engaged, by gluing, frictional engagement, or the like, around the edges of the depression 21 to partially overlie the locking member 25 and maintain the assembly in the desired orientation. The frame 32 further holds the locking member 25 adjacent the bottom surface of the depression 20 so that detent means, including a small depression 35 in thelower surface of the arm 26 and a mating projection 36 in the bottom surface of the depression 20, cooperate to retain the locking member 25 in the locked or unlocked positions. lt should be understood that the clip might utilize the detent means, including depression 35 and projection 36, and/or theslight depression described, but not shown, in the ramp if desired.

Thus, an improved locking clip is disclosed wherein the clip can be easily and firmly locked in a gripping position by moving the locking member 25 so that the arm 27 is in a spaced position from the pivot point (rod 14) or wherein the clip is freely pivotal by moving the locking member 25 so that the arm 27 is adjacent the pivot point. Further, since the parts can all be formed from the same material, except the spring 16, and since the parts are easily assembled into a working unit, the cost and difficulty of manufacturing the improved clip is substantially decreased.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of this invention, further modifications and imfor limited pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said clip; and c. blocking means movably mounted on said clip for movement into and away from blocking engagement with said housing to prevent and allow, respectively, pivotal movement of said clip, said blocking means including a generally L-shaped member having one arm engaged in an axially ex.- tending track formed in the clip in a generally parallel, axially slidable orientation and the other arm extending away from said clip toward said housing to form a projection, said projection being mounted for sliding movements with said member from a first position approximately at the axis of rotation of said clipwhere pivotal movement of said clip is allowed to a second position spaced from the axis of rotation where pivotal movement of said clip is prevented. 2. An improved locking clip as claimed in claim 1 including in addition an outwardly projecting ramp affixed to the housing in a position to'engage the projection when the projection is moved into the second posivertent movement of the blocking means out of block-' ing engagement with the housing.

4. An improved locking clip for fastening an article to a belt or the like comprising:

a. a housing;

b. an elongated clip pivotally attached to said housing for limited pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said clip; and

c. blocking means movably mounted on one of said clip and said housing for movement into and away from blocking engagement with said housing to prevent and allow, respectively, pivotal movement of said clip, said blocking means including a generally L-shaped member having one arm engaged to said one of said clip and said housing in a generally parallel, axially slidable orientation and the other arm forming a projection extending away from said one of said clip and said housing and toward the other of said clip and said housing, said projection being mounted for sliding movements with said member from a first position approximately atthe axis of rotation of said clip, where pivotal movement of said clip is allowed, to a second position spaced from the axis of rotation, where pivotal movement of said clip is prevented. 

1. An improved locking clip for fastening an article to a belt or the like comprising: a. a housing; b. an elongated clip pivotally attached to said housing for limited pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said clip; and c. blocking means movably mounted on said clip for movement into and away from blocking engagement with said housing to prevent and allow, respectively, pivotal movement of said clip, said blocking means including a generally L-shaped member having one arm engaged in an axially extending track formed in the clip in a generally parallel, axially slidable orientation and the other arm extending away from said clip toward said housing to form a projection, said projection being mounted for sliding movements with said member from a first position approximately at the axis of rotation of said clip where pivotal movement of said clip is allowed to a second position spaced from the axis of rotation where pivotal movement of said clip is prevented.
 2. An improved locking clip as claimed in claim 1 including in addition an outwardly projecting ramp affixed to the housing in a position to engage the projection when the projection is moved into the second position.
 3. An improved locking clip as claimed in claim 1 including in addition detent means for preventing inadvertent movement of the blocking means out of blocking engagement with the housing.
 4. An improved locking clip for fastening an article to a belt or the like comprising: a. a housing; b. an elongated clip pivotally attached to said housing for limited pivotal movement about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said clip; and c. blocking means movably mounted on one of said clip and said housing for movement into and away from blocking engagement with said housing to prevent and allow, respectively, pivotal movement of said clip, said blocking means including a generally L-shaped member having one arm engaged to said one of said clip and said housing in a generally parallel, axially slidable orientation and the other arm forming a projection extending away from said one of said clip and said housing and toward the oTher of said clip and said housing, said projection being mounted for sliding movements with said member from a first position approximately at the axis of rotation of said clip, where pivotal movement of said clip is allowed, to a second position spaced from the axis of rotation, where pivotal movement of said clip is prevented. 